Paterno out at Penn State; Asks students to pray for the victims

It is much, much too late to help the children who have allegedly been sexually abused by former Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, but at least, finally, somebody at Penn State took an adult action.

Head football coach Joe Paterno, fired.

School president Graham B. Spanier, fired.

It is very interesting that assistant coach Mike McQueary, who witnessed Sandusky raping what McQueary describes as a 10-year-old boy in the Penn State football locker room shower, was not fired and apparently will be on the sideline at Saturday’s game against Nebraska. I can’t imagine how players are reacting to him this week.

It makes you wonder what the board knows that we have yet to hear, doesn’t it?

I am not going to speculate, but I will share a couple of things with you.

Paterno issued a gracious statement after learing of his firing in which he admitted that a “tragedy occurred.” He stepped outside his house and waved to a few reporters and the students gathered there. Just before going back in after thanking the students for their support and admonishing them to study, he turned around and said:

It is a crime in the State of Texas not to report suspected child abuse.

“Anyone ‘having cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect’ must report the case immediately to a law enforcement agency or to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, under Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code.”

“The law does not require the person reporting to be certain that a child is being abused or neglected before reporting, only to have reason for believing it. It is a good idea to talk to the child to see if there is a simple or plausible explanation for the appearance of injury or neglect. But a concerned adult should stop well short of trying to investigate or intervene in the suspected abuse. Reasonable suspicions of abuse must be reported to the appropriate authorities. And any time a child discloses abuse to an adult, the adult has reason to make a report. This is true even if the adult feels skeptical about what the child has said; the disclosure should be reported so that appropriate authorities can judge the need for investigation.”

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Heath Evans, the former NFL fullback who signed with the Patriots when I covered the team, is married to a woman who was sexually abused as a child.

This led to their forming the Heath Evans Foundation, which provides counseling for others and raises awareness about childhood sexual abuse.